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After a long tease, BMW revealed the X7 this week. Although it’s entering the full-size utility market a little late in the game, BMW will benefit from the prestige that comes with having a true flagship SUV. Of course, that prestige only applies if the model is well-executed. Did BMW nail the design of the X7, or does it fall flat? Before you decide, let’s examine the X7’s design in relation to some of its most significant competitors.

Asserting its dominance as the top-dog SUV in the lineup, the X7 features BMW’s largest kidney grille ever. The large grille contrasts with slim headlights. But if you think this grille is big, take a look at the Audi Q7. This model features an even bigger grille with a thick silver frame. Like the BMW, the Volvo XC90 features a blingy grille dominated by vertical lines, and it has arguably the nicest lights with Volvo’s signature “Thor’s hammer” LED accents. The Mercedes-Benz GLS is a much older vehicle, and it features the rounded styling of yesteryear. The headlights are chunky instead of long and narrow like on most competitors, though expect that look to change when the new model arrives as soon as next year.

From the side profile, the 2019 BMW X7 adopts an upright stance, particularly in the rear. It also features plenty of bright trim around the windows and on the lower portion of the doors. The Q7 looks a little plainer from this angle, although it has strong wheel arches. On the XC90, you’ll find simple lines, and bright trim at the bottom of the doors. The GLS adopts a boxy appearance, and it has a very straight roofline.

In the rear, the BMW features a bright chrome bar between the two taillights, a feature we’ve seen before on the 7 Series. The long and thin taillights make the rear look wide, while the rear’s upright stance makes it look tall as well. The rear of the Audi Q7 doesn’t look quite as upright, and two solid rectangular blocks make up the taillights. Of all the SUVs, the XC90’s taillights are the most memorable, simply for their unusual vertical orientation. On the GLS, you’ll find more rounded taillights on the boxy rear end, and plenty of shiny trim.

The differences between the four models get interesting inside the cabin where drivers and passengers spend most of their time. In the BMW, there is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and central display, as well as optional glass controls for the gear shift lever and infotainment controller. The BMW also has a main sunroof and smaller rear sunroof, allowing third-row passengers to enjoy some sun. The Audi Q7 beat the BMW to the digital gauge display punch by a number of years, first offering the Virtual Cockpit option for the 2016 model year. The Audi’s center touchscreen pops up from the dashboard, meaning it sits particularly high. In the XC90, the main feature that stands out is the iPad-like touchscreen, which eliminates the need for excess buttons inside the cabin. Meanwhile, you can start to see the GLS’ age when you hop inside. It has a small infotainment screen and tons of buttons below, including a number pad. Everything from the cabin materials to the instrument cluster and temperature dials appear dated for a flagship SUV.

Can the 2019 BMW X7 compete with its top rivals when it comes to styling? Which SUV would you crown the design king? Let us know on Facebook.

The post Refreshing or Revolting: 2019 BMW X7 vs. Luxury Three-Row Competition appeared first on Motor Trend.

Cyan Racing, formerly known as Polestar Racing, is furthering its ties to Geely-owned brands by partnering with Lynk & Co to take on the FIA WTCR series in 2019. The companies will race the Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car, which has spawned a concept road car.

Thed Björk, starting his seventh season with Cyan Racing, will drive one of the TCR cars for 2019. The driver, who piloted a Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 to a 2017 World Touring Car Championship win, was on hand to introduce the Lynk & Co TCR race car at an event at Fuji Raceway in Japan this week. He and his team will face off against seven automakers including Audi, Alfa Romeo, Honda, Hyundai, Peugeot, Seat, and Volkswagen. As a refresher, the FIA World Touring Car Championship adopted the TCR touring car specification and changed its name to WTCR in 2018.

We don’t know much about the concept, called the Lynk & Co 03 Cyan, other than the fact that it’s “closely connected” to the race car program and it will produce 500 hp. The production 03 debuted earlier this year in China promising a Volvo-developed turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, but it’s unclear if the concept or race car will use either of those. “The concept car will be the first step towards an extended performance offer,” according to a press release from Cyan Racing and Lynk & Co.

If you’re not familiar with Lynk & Co, it’s a relatively new brand launched by Geely and Volvo in 2016. Its models are designed and engineered in Sweden, and they place an emphasis on fixed prices, online sales, and digital sharing. Eventually, Lynk & Co wants to make a play for the U.S. market with a new SUV.

Source: Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co

The post Lynk & Co 03 Race Car Will Spawn 500-HP Road-Going Version appeared first on Motor Trend.

Last month, Audi showed off the E-Tron Quattro, an electric crossover designed to take on the Tesla Model X. With a 95-kWh battery pack, the E-Tron Quattro makes about 400 hp and has slightly less than a 250-mile range. Soon, though, Audi plans to add a second E-Tron-badged EV to its lineup, a sedan currently known as the E-Tron GT. From the sound of it, that will be the one to buy if you care about performance.

When Audi initially announced the E-Tron GT, it really only provided the shadowy rendering shown above and some vague quotes about how sporty it will be. But speaking to Autocar recently, Siegfried Pint, Audi’s head of powertrains, let a few more details slip. According to Pint, the GT’s range will be about the same as the Quattro’s, but the sporty sedan will be “focused more towards power.”

Pint didn’t specify how much power the E-Tron GT will make, but Autocar reports that the goal is to beat the Tesla Model S P100D. Whether that means out-accelerating the P100D with or without Ludicrous Mode, however, isn’t clear. We clocked a Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode at 2.28 seconds to 60 mph, a feat that makes it the quickest production car we’ve tested.

Johannes Eckstein, the E-Tron GT’s product manager, also reportedly told Autocar that the electric sedan will be Audi’s first model capable of using 350-kW chargers. In theory, that means the E-Tron GT will be able to hit an 80-percent charge in about 12 minutes. We’ll believe it when we see it, but at least for now, it sounds seriously impressive.

Source: Autocar

The post Upcoming Audi E-Tron GT Sedan to Focus on Power appeared first on Motor Trend.

Here’s a new set of C8 Corvette renders that hit YouTube today from SpyShotRenders.

They took several of the spy photos from the C8 Corvette’s trip to the Nurburgring and then rendered them into what they might look like without the camouflage.

As the designer is talking through the renders, he points out various aspects of the car and what he sees.

Continue reading [VIDEO] SpyShotRenders Does the C8 2020 Mid-Engine Corvette at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

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Continue reading Save 11% Off Car Covers at Corvette Central at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Earlier this year, Tesla sold its 200,000th car. It was a major milestone for the innovative electric vehicle manufacturer, but there was one downside to Tesla’s sales success. It’s officially sold too many cars for new customers to qualify for the full federal tax credit. A newly introduced bill, however, may change that.

Reuters reports that earlier this week, Nevada Senator Dean Heller introduced a bill that would remove the 200,000-unit limit, allowing buyers to claim the full $7,500 tax credit regardless of how many EVs a manufacturer has sold. It would then phase out the tax credit altogether in 2022. In addition to Tesla, this bill would be a big benefit for General Motors, which expects to cross the 200,000-mark by the end of the year.

When asked for a comment, GM would only tell Reuters that it’s important for the government “to provide a federal tax credit for consumers to help make electric vehicles more affordable for all customers.”

Heller isn’t the only lawmaker proposing legislation to change the way the EV tax credit works. In September, several senators introduced a bill that would remove the sales cap, extend the credit for another 10 years, and allow customers to use it as a rebate at the time they purchase their EV. And earlier this month, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso proposed ending the tax credit altogether and taxing EVs to fund road maintenance.

Source: Reuters

The post New Bill Would Remove Sales Limits on EV Tax Credits appeared first on Motor Trend.

Our friends at Kerbeck Corvette in Atlantic City are asking if you a feeling a little blue today? No, they aren’t asking about your “feels”, they want to show off the new Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic that went into production on the first of October. The World’s Largest Corvette dealer has the new, brighter Elkhart Lake Blue now in stock!

Continue reading [PICS] Kerbeck Compares New Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic to Admiral Blue at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.

Today, Ford released a new video ad. It’s more than a minute long, stars Bryan Cranston, and focuses on how Ford’s history of building cars sets it up well for the future. The ad itself is well done, but one part really sticks out. At the 36-second mark, a shadowy image of a car wearing a Mustang badge flashes up on the screen. It’s clearly not the current Mustang, so the question is, what the heck is it?

By playing with the screenshot (shown above) in Photoshop, we were able to bring out a few more details. But aside from the illuminated Mustang badge on the grille, there still aren’t any clues as to what we’re looking at. When we asked Ford, a spokesperson would only say, “It’s a glimpse of what’s to come and we are excited to show you more in the future.”

The statement itself may be vague, but at least it confirms we’re not looking at a rendering of some Future Mustang that only exists in the minds of the ad team. It’s a car that we can expect to at least see in concept form. But what kind of concept?

The grille strongly implies something electric, but the car looks too low to be the upcoming Mustang-inspired electric crossover that Ford’s been teasing. If it weren’t for the Mustang badge, we’d probably assume it was an electric sedan concept. Instead, our best guess is that it’s the Mustang Hybrid slated for 2020.

If so, that means it’s also potentially our first look at the next-gen Mustang. The front end is far too different from the current Mustang for this to be an electrified evolution of the S550. Based on how different the vehicle in this image looks, don’t be surprised if the next Mustang gets a radical redesign.

With the Los Angeles auto show later this year and the Detroit auto show kicking off in January, you’ll want to keep an eye out for future Mustang news. Ford still needs to officially reveal the GT500, but you never know when the next-gen Mustang concept will make its first appearance.

Source: Ford via YouTube

The post Could This be the Next-Gen Ford Mustang Hybrid? appeared first on Motor Trend.

So far, Tesla has rolled out two versions of the Model 3: the long-range battery and the Performance version. Right now, these models begin around $55,000-$65,000, a far cry from the $35,000 starting price Tesla originally promised for its small sedan. Tesla still hasn’t introduced the base Model 3, but at least now it’s bringing out a mid-range battery model priced from $46,200.

This price excludes a $7,500 federal tax credit that will be available through December 31. If you believe Tesla’s calculations, the mid-range model’s cost works out to $34,400 once you factor in that full tax credit and gas savings over a six-year period.

The new variant offers an EPA-estimated 260 miles of range, 50 miles less than the other Model 3s currently available. Top speed is 125 mph, and Tesla says it can hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. It’s not quite as zippy as the Model 3 Performance we clocked at 2.3 seconds, but it’s reasonable for its price point.

Tesla has launched a configurator for the mid-range model, which comes in shades of black, silver, blue, white, and red. Standard features include LED fog lamps, four USB ports and docking for two smartphones, and heated 12-way power adjustable front seats. Enhanced Autopilot is available as a $5,000 option. It comes with rear-wheel drive, while the other models are now being offered exclusively in the dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration.

So when will the $35,000 version finally show up? Expect the model with the standard battery to arrive in the next four to six months, Tesla says. It should offer around 220 miles of range.

Pictured is the Performance variant of the Tesla Model 3

Source: Tesla, Elon Musk via Twitter

The post Tesla Rolls Out Cheaper Model 3 appeared first on Motor Trend.

If a Mazda Miata ever got together with a 1967 Corvette, this might be their love child.

That’s right. A Japanese company named Mitsuoka has done a little in vitro fertilization and is building a limited run of 50 C2-inspired Corvette Sting Rays built on a Miata platform.

The cars apparently will also drive like a Miata, which based on what we’ve seen in the mainstream car magazines might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Continue reading Japanese Automaker Mitsouoka Pays Tribute to C2 Corvettes with These Mazda Miata Conversions at Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle.